In gastric bypass surgery, a surgeon reduces the volume of the stomach by suturing off a large section of the stomach. A portion of the small intestine is then resected, and the remaining organ structure is ligated to the stomach. The result of this therapy is that the amount of food that patients may consume at one time is restricted and the allowed time for nutrient absorption is dramatically reduced. Although effective, this procedure produces debilitating and dangerous side effects such as malnutrition and death.